You may have noticed that my site and blog have a new tagline that encompasses the work that I do: Drive. Align. Shift. It is a bold statement showing the progression we should all take to have a successful life. I have developed new courses around this concept to help you take the necessary steps to be fulfilled in all areas of your life.

Drive with Purpose.

Some people aren't even on the road. They just blindly go through life and let it happen to them instead of taking some responsibility. The easiest option for these folks is to complain about their job, house, spouse, kids, and everything else in between. Instead of looking at everyone else and every other circumstance, they should look within for the source of their problem - thinking that a lack of action will lead to change in their lives.

Believe it or not, this used to describe me many years ago. I've made a lot of changes in my life to get to where I am today. If you're interested in making a change, you have to make a commitment to Drive with Purpose.

Make no excuses. Get on the road and do something. If you're not driving, you're not living. Remember, though that navigating does not equal complete control. There are some things that you have to leave up to the Universe, but you must be a willing partner in order to move forward.

Align Your Goals.

Once you're driving on the road, you will have some work to do. Again, there are people who think it's good enough to just be on the road and watch everyone else. They have a false sense of security where they are and convince themselves that they are happy with life as it is. Usually these are the people who avoid changing their course and don't even bother setting goals.

I remember the times when I was frustrated with goal-setting because I was failing at my goals or it was taking too long to achieve them. If you want a better goal-setting and achievement strategy, you have to focus on how to Align Your Goals in all parts of your life.

It doesn't make sense to have goals that don't connect. We all have different roles that should connect and make you who you are. Goals that you make for each of these areas should complement each other. Also, you have to keep in mind that you may not achieve all of your goals in the way that you're expecting. Sometimes you Drive with Purpose and set a goal that is on-mission, but you don't reach that goal. There are other reasons for going through that experience.

Shift Your Perspective.

After being on the road for awhile and making some changes, the scenery will start to look monotonous. You've become familiar with the typical challenges you face and know how to overcome them. You hang around similar people and just breathe in each others' fumes. This is the time to really break out of your shell and do something different with your life.

I have been comfortable with my life at different times in the past and was afraid of making a change that could bring even more success and happiness. If you're content with where you are, but feel that more fulfillment could be just around the corner, your next step is to Shift Your Perspective.

Shifting involves doing a lot of inner work. You have to continue to let go and see the lessons in life as a way to allow you to see more of the world. Your purpose becomes clear. You see your life as an example for others. It can be scary to challenge some of your long-standing beliefs, but this is the only path to true growth.

From Leila: Donna Toothaker was my first virtual assistant (pun intended). Her business is called 1st VA and she helped me to launch my Spirit Driving teleclasses back in 2004. Her business has grown because she is a high achiever with great ideas. In this article, she provides some insight on challenges that high achievers face. I agree whole-heartedly. Enjoy!

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As creative, entrepreneurial people, we are often gifted with the world's greatest ideas. Our imaginations abound with business plans, information products, and new ways of marketing our services. So, why aren’t we acting upon, and manifesting all these brilliant dreams of ours? We're perfectly stuck, that's why.

We have high standards, and are high achievers. We also have the tendency toward perfectionism - wanting everything to be just "so" before we put it out into the world. The difference between being a high achiever and perfectionism is that high achievers relish the process of creating and manifesting something, and once they start they don't look back – they keep moving. Perfectionists, on the other hand, are focused solely on the goal, and are so driven to succeed – or rather, not to fail – that many times they don't even begin the creation process due to overwhelm.

How many people don't move forward with projects or in their business because they're waiting for things to be perfect, the perfect business name, domain, website, information product, program, the perfect timing... the list goes on. The sad truth is, if they just took action without waiting for perfection they'd be so much further in their business.

How do we move the perfection roadblock from out of our path to manifesting our dreams? Consider a few small things that can make a huge difference:

As perfectionists, we're our own worst critics. Nobody can possibly be scrutinizing you or your work as much as you are. Most imperfections we notice in our work are unimportant, or invisible, to others.
Small moves, made repeatedly, are better than one big effort. Just as we are told about the cumulative health benefits of short bursts of exercise, so do small actions add up to big gains in manifesting your ideas. What small action step can you do today - every day - to keep your dream in motion?

Mistakes can be springboards for success. No matter how seasoned you are in your business, you will make mistakes – even when things seem to be going smoothly. It's just a fact of life. And, often it is the larger mistakes that teach the most meaningful lessons. Learning from mistakes, and learning how to implement that knowledge immediately into your creative process can spring you more quickly toward achieving your goals, or launch you in a whole new direction.
Be kind to yourself. When mistakes do happen – and they will – be compassionate toward yourself. Practice positive self-talk, replacing name calling ("How could I be so STUPID") with self-encouragement ("Next time, I will slow down and be more careful so I don’t overlook important details.")

The bottom line is, while a desire to do well, to do your best work and to explore your full potential can give you sense of satisfaction and personal fulfillment, you have to learn when it is 'good enough'. Only then, will you be able to move forward with confidence and bring those brilliant ideas to life.

Donna Toothaker is CEO and founder of 1st VA the highly sought-after online marketing and consulting company. 1st VA specializes in providing online marketing support and services to entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who wish to effectively build or improve their online presence. To discover how 1st VA can help your business - visit http://www.1stva.com.

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